


Chocolate and Caramel

by Impala_Chick



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: Baking, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, M/M, Meet the Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 20:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10647684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Cody wants to make dessert and Zach gets a case of Christmas nerves. Luckily they both have Shaun.





	Chocolate and Caramel

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Shelter_Diner holiday fest, 2011.

Cody came bounding into the kitchen just as Shaun was pulling a chocolate cake out of the oven. Shaun dropped his red and green oven mitts, complete with smiling snowmen, onto the counter before scooping Cody into a hug.

“Can I pick what to make?” Cody asked, throwing his arms around Shaun’s neck.

Shaun opened his mouth to answer, but Zach bustled into the kitchen and tried to dash Cody’s hopes in the gentlest way possible.

“It’s already been decided, Codes. Besides, we gotta leave in an hour anyway.”

Cody’s face fell and he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. Zach grabbed a garbage bag out of one of the kitchen cabinets and quickly headed back out of the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Shaun sat Cody down on the counter.

“What did you have in mind?” Shaun whispered, winking at Cody.

Cody’s face split into a grin and he clapped his hands before whispering back. “Something with lots of caramel. And chocolate! Uncle Gabe loves chocolate, like me!”

“Hmmm, I think I have just the thing.” Shaun grabbed a dessert cookbook out of the drawer and thumbed through the pages.

Zach reentered the kitchen with a garbage bag full of wrapping paper, ribbon, and new toy packaging; the remnants of the chaos that had been Christmas morning. Both Cody and Shaun froze, and Shaun stopped skimming the cookbook. Zach looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised in suspicion.

“What are you two up to?” Zach asked, one hand on his hip and one corner of his lips turned up slightly in an almost-smile.

Shaun sidled over and took the garbage bag from Zach to drop it on the floor. He settled his hands on Zach’s hips and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Nothing, hun. Don’t you have to take a shower before we head over to Mom’s?”

“Shit! Ya, you are right.” Zach said, turning to leave the kitchen. He paused and leaned against the door frame, wagging a finger at Cody and Shaun.

“Whatever it is that is going on, you two better be ready to leave in an hour. We can’t be late for our first Christmas dinner at Virginia’s!”

As soon as Zach left the kitchen, Shaun turned back to Cody.

“That was a close one!” Cody giggled, and gave Shaun a high five.

Shaun got Cody down from the counter, and they both peaked around the corner of the kitchen. They waited until they heard the shower come on in the bathroom.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Shaun asked Cody, a huge smile on his face.

“I want to make dessert!” Cody said.

Shaun handed Cody the cookbook with the page open to what he had in mind.

“What do you think, Cody? We should have all of these ingredients. And the cake was already done. I’m sure Ma and Larry will love them, too.”

“Perfect! Let’s do it!”

The kitchen became a hub of activity as Shaun and Cody started grabbing ingredients and supplies.

~~~~~

Zach stepped out of the shower and was immediately confronted by the sweet smell of chocolate. He towel dried his hair and quickly pulled on boxers and slacks before calling out “I’m coming into the kitchen!”

He could hear Cody and Shaun laughing before he could see them. Zach rounded the corner and didn’t know if he should laugh or start scolding.

Sugar and chocolate seemed to be everywhere. The kitchen smelled delicious. There was a streak of caramel across Shaun’s cheek, and Cody’s nose had chocolate on it.

“Look what we made for the party!” Cody said. Shaun stuck half of a pretzel into the side of the last cake pop, and turned them to show Zach.

“Wow, my boys are quite talented.” Zach said in appreciation. His face beamed with pride, but then he glanced at the clock on the wall.

“But now we have to wash you up, Codes. We can’t be late!”

Shaun helped Cody wash his hands in the sink and Zach turned to leave.

“Wait, Zach. You aren’t going anywhere.” Shaun called out without turning around.

“I’m not?”

“No, you wait right there.”

Zach took a seat at one of the island stools, slightly perplexed. Shaun finished up with Cody and sent him scampering to his room to get changed.

Shaun had a stern look on his face and Zach furrowed his brow. Shaun put both his hands on Zach’s thighs and tipped Zach’s chin up.

“Listen. This is going to be fun. Gabe is going to be there. Larry is not that bad. Everyone is going to love you two. Stop worrying.”

Zach let out a breath and dropped his shoulders. He smiled.

“I just want this to go well.” He said, his toe scuffing the ground.

“It will.” Shaun assured him before kissing his forehead. Zach sighed and tipped foreword slightly on the stool.

Shaun pitched his voice low.

“But it might be more fun if you went like this, with no shirt on.” A mischievous grin lit up Shaun’s face and Zach rolled his eyes.

“No way, pervert.” Zach bumped Shaun in the shoulder, but there was not heat in his words. He leaned forward to steal a kiss. Shaun deepened it for a heartbeat, letting his tongue dance along the edges of Zach’s lips. He pulled back and surveyed Zach through half-lidded eyes.

“Stop that, you will make me blush.” Zach whispered. Then Zach’s eyes lit up like he just realized something important. Shaun only had a second to wonder what Zach was thinking about before Zach was licking the caramel off Shaun’s face.

Shaun let out an almost inaudible moan and Zach huffed warm breath along Shaun’s neck. Shaun was now between Zach’s legs, his hands on Zach’s hips. But then Zach noticed the clock again.

“You know, they really wouldn’t mind if we were a little bit late.” Shaun offered, one of his eyebrows raised suggestively. Zach considered, but didn’t have to consider long because just then Cody came running into the kitchen.

“Zach! Shaun! I can’t get this hairbrush unstuck!”

Cody had ripped red sweatpants, a black and green AC/DC shirt, and two different color socks on; and a hairbrush was stuck to the back of his head.

Zach looked at Shaun with a bemused look on his face.

“You better call them. We are going to be late.”


End file.
